Governor Perdue delivers good news at Washington Civic Center | Eastern North Carolina Now

    For the second time in one month, Beaufort County has received representatives from the State of North Carolina bearing gifted incentives to persuade multi-state companies with a local presence to favor expansion here, rather than in another location.

    On Nov. 22, North Carolina Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco welcomed Beaufort County with news that a $150,000 grant from his department's One North Carolina Fund, with a matching grant from Beaufort County, had convinced Liberty Associates, the parent company of Chocowinity's Fountain Powerboats, to invest $5.1 million in the local company, resulting in an estimated 411 jobs for the area.

    Today, at the Washington Civic Center, Crisco and Governor Bev Perdue stood before an invited crowd of local elected officials, city and county employees, Committee of 100 members, Chamber of Commerce members and other local dignitaries, and unwrapped a financial assistance package far surpassing its predecessor. According to Perdue, the One North Carolina Fund incentive, with matching funds from the Golden Leaf Foundation, has granted $800,000 to entice Pas USA Inc., the manufacturer of home-appliance panels, operating from the old Lowe's building on 15th Street in Washington, to expand its presence in Washington, rather than in Ohio near its newly acquired big-name buyer, Whirlpool Corporation.

Beaufort County Commissioner Jerry Langley (left) and ex-North Carolina Representative Arthur Williams (right) stand with N.C. Governor Bev Perdue at the Washington Civic Center after today's big economic development announcement.

    Perdue announced that Pas USA's expansion is expected to bring 239 jobs to Beaufort County, over the next five years. Beaufort County's unemployment rate has improved from 12.3 percent in January to 9.7 percent in October, and these new jobs could help it continue along that upward slope.

    "We're having a right good time in this county," said Perdue.

    Perdue credited this economic success to her administration and its supporters' belief in the usefulness of such state-funded incentives. She said that North Carolina often loses business to other states with "more robust" incentive packages, and derided those politicians who fight against the use of incentives.

    "We put together a partnership of incentives. Now, a lot of people, Representative Cook, will go to Raleigh and whine and moan and jump up and down and say, 'Incentives are evil'...You know what, I believe that our core purpose in the 21st century, is to find jobs for our people and keep them employed," said Perdue.

    Perdue was given a tour of the factory within the past year at the request of ex-N.C. Representative Arthur Williams, who was defeated by N.C. Representative Bill Cook, who was in attendance at today's announcement.

    Following Perdue's announcement, Beaufort County Board of Commissioners Chairman Jerry Langley expressed his thanks to the governor for not letting big city concerns trump those of rural, eastern North Carolina.

    "So many times we hear that government stops west of I-95, and you have shown us today that people do exist east of I-95," said Langley, who was met with a grateful embrace from Perdue.

    He also thanked Pas USA Chief Executive Officer Stefan Kaiser, who, during his turn at the podium, detailed his company's expansion throughout the world and into other markets, for choosing to expand in Beaufort County.

    "To Mr. Kaiser, God bless you. We are truly thankful," said Langley. "We realize the jobs could've gone to Ohio, but you knew enough about Beaufort County and all the hard-working citizens here, to reinvest in Beaufort County."

    Washington Mayor Archie Jennings thanked the state representatives and Golden Leaf for their part, but gave special recognition to Pas USA for not only surviving, but excelling, during a recession.

    "More than anything we celebrate the leaders at PAS, who crafted a strategy and executed a strategy to expand their business in, as the governor said, the toughest of economic times," said Jennings.

    Golden Leaf Foundation President Dan Gerlach explained that the $750,000 matching funds will be distributed to the Beaufort County Committee of 100, which will use the money to buy equipment for Pas USA. Over time, Gerlach said, Pas USA will lease back the equipment, resulting in future development funds for the Committee of 100. He said that the Committee of 100 had been enjoying, for the past four years, the same relationship with Carver Machine Works of Washington.

    At the end of the presentation, Beaufort County Economic Development Executive Director Tom Thompson, who hosted the announcement, endowed Kaiser and Perdue with framed prints of, what he called, the only 16th-century painting of America, a painting of Sequotan life in what is now Bath, by John Smith for Queen Elizabeth.